Second homes crisis: MP asks Welsh Government Minister: ‘Could we have a word while you’re on holiday in Llŷn?’
An MP has asked a Government minister to meet up while he’s on holiday in Pen Llŷn to discuss the second-homes crisis.
Plaid Cymru Meirionnydd Dwyfor MP Liz Saville Roberts made the appeal on Twitter today after joining protests held across her constituency and on Anglesey yesterday by hundreds of local people about being forced out of their communities because of spiralling prices.
Mrs Roberts joined her fellow constituency MS Mabon ap Gwynfor and Cefin Campbell, MS for Mid and West Wales and Ynys Mon MS Rhun ap Iorwerth as protests were held at Pistyll, Tudweiliog, Edern and Aberdaron and other villages and communities.
Diolch i bawb ddoth allan i godi eu llais ac i Gyngor Tref Nefyn am drefnu y cyfres o ralïau ddoe yn mynnu #HawlIFywAdra
Mae'r neges yn glir, ac mae amser yn brin.
Rhaid deddfu er mwyn rheoli y farchnad dai, a sicrhau fod y farchnad yn gweithio o blaid ein cymunedau. pic.twitter.com/IeMWROB9Tx— Mabon ap Gwynfor AS 🏴 (@mabonapgwynfor) May 30, 2021
She said she was supporting the Hawl i Fyw Adra (Right to Live Home) campaign in Pen Llŷn “to call on the Welsh government to act now to address the second homes crisis as young people are priced out of their own communities.”
Today she stepped up her efforts by asking the ecomomy minister Vaughan Gething directly for a meeting with her while he is on holiday in Llŷn.
Mrs Roberts herself lives in Morfa Nefyn – in an area where a vast majority of the houses are second homes.
She added that it was a shame that Mr Gething had not attended any of the protests yesterday himself – after local company Cwrw Llyn said he and his family had visited their brewery.
Could we have a word while you’re on holiday in Llŷn @vaughangething?
Now’s the time to show whether @WelshGovernment ministers feel duty of care towards fragile Welsh-speaking communities, or whether we’re just a pretty destination @IHawl #socialjustice
Please follow & DM
— Liz Saville Roberts AS/MP 🏴 (@LSRPlaid) May 30, 2021
Addressing Mr Gething, she said: “Now’s the time to show whether the Welsh Government ministers feel duty of care towards fragile Welsh-speaking communities, or whether we’re just a pretty destination.”
It’s not known yet whether Mr Gething has indeed replied to Mrs Roberts or if they will be arranging a meeting.
Supporting @IHawl campaign in Pen Llŷn with @mabonapgwynfor and @cefincampbell to call on the Welsh government to act now to address the second homes crisis as young people are priced out of their own communities. #SecondHomes 🏡🏴 pic.twitter.com/qpfyUaQNTr
— Liz Saville Roberts AS/MP 🏴 (@LSRPlaid) May 29, 2021
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Ms Roberts the man must be worn out…
If the concern really is locals being priced out of their communities then a bigger problem than holiday homes is people – often retired / elderly – moving to rural and coastal areas permanently.
Of course, holiday homes is an easier target, but it’s not the biggest problem when it comes to locals being unable to buy a home.
Not sure why you think people moving to live in these areas is a problem – rather ageist to say just because they are retired elderly they are a problem? The numbers of empty homes is the real issue i believe as the numbers are sky high and unlike second homes they are empty 52 weeks of the year. Plaid seem to ignore this probably cos they are owned by local Plaid supporters.
What planet are you writing from? Planet 77?
It’s a two fold issue, second home ownership and people moving from outside Wales driving up the local house prices. It’s all down to economics, house prices in the south east England are multiples of the value of houses in these areas pricing out locals on lower salaries. It’s not an ageist statement to say that large numbers of retired people not working and contributions to the development of the local economy drive out young people from these communities and add to the cost of the local healthcare system disproportionately. It’s just a statement of fact!
I agree, and I think we need to very careful of how we word our arguments. This is a problem caused by unregulated free-market economics. Many people have taken advantage of this, granted, but nevertheless it is the injustice of the current free-market system. I was brought up, and still live, on the Conwy coast where retirement homes etc. have sprung up in abundance, pricing locals out of the market. They have been largely bought up by people from the Northwest and Midlands of England who wish to live a quieter and more peaceful life in beautiful Wales. This, along… Read more »
Happily some people who come to live in Wales, proper live in Wales, rediscover their humanity and make a great contribution to their new communities. They find here what they had been missing in England – like knowing your neighbour’s name and stopping to chat in the street – and consequently quickly understand how different Wales is to England. Nice too to have a grandma and grandad living in such a nice place, very educational and brain-refreshing for kids to see a different way of life. It’s the buy-to-lets and the second homes we have to put the brakes on.